If Pender was riding high fresh off their 68-30 takedown of Hobbton last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Pender Patriots fell 51-38 to the Whiteville Wolfpack on Friday. The Patriots have struggled against the Wolfpack recently, as their game on Friday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
When it comes to explaining why Pender lost, don't look at Jeremiah Johnson. Despite the final result, he rushed for 298 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards Johnson has posted since back in November of 2023. Jassiah Hill handled things on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and a rushing touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Pender was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 434 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 195 rushing yards in eight consecutive games.
Pender's loss dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Whiteville, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 7-1.
Pender and West Columbus are set to duel on Friday. West Columbus is coming into the match with three straight defeats on the road, meaning Pender will have to defend against a team hungry for a win. As for Whiteville, they will venture away from home to square off against East Bladen at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Whiteville's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last five contests.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
